Soldier killed in barracks shootout

In an exchange of fire shortly before 7:00 a.m., the man’s superior was also injured, but it was not yet clear whether this was due to the use of a firearm. Before that, there is said to have been a dispute between the guard and his superior, the soldier fired several shots in the guard room, according to Bauer. The State Criminal Police Office is investigating.

The investigations are carried out by the murder and crime scene group of the State Criminal Police Office. “We are at the beginning of the investigation,” said police spokesman Johann Baumschlager. In addition to securing evidence, interrogations were also planned. Erich Habitzl, spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office in Wiener Neustadt, referred to the ongoing crime scene work and surveys when asked.

According to the federal army spokesman, the shots were fired at around 6.55 a.m. The guard opened fire first. According to Bauer, he was shot by the higher-ranking military. The injured man was taken to the hospital, Bauer said. The degree of the injuries was not known for the time being, and there was also no information about what triggered the altercation.

Several police and military police vehicles could be seen in front of the barracks in Wiener Neustadt on Friday morning. Forensics were in progress.

The airfield barracks in Wiener Neustadt was the scene of a deadly dog ​​attack in November 2019. A soldier was attacked and killed by Belgian shepherd dogs. The 31-year-old was found lifeless in a kennel. Among other things, the man was responsible for running and feeding several animals. An investigation against the responsible dog handler and against those responsible for the army who had not been specifically investigated was discontinued at the end of 2020.